The Georgian had ruled the 135-pound division with an iron fist until that point, claiming the title with a resounding victory against Sean O’Malley before defending the gold three times and working his way to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. He was a powerful 1/5 betting favorite to successfully defend his title for a fourth time against Yan, especially having dominated the Russian on his way to the title in March 2023.
But Yan seemed reborn from the fighter who had lost four times in five fights between 2021 and 2023, starting with his own controversial loss of the title to Aljamain Sterling.
The Siberian delivered a series of vicious kicks to Merab, and the cardio machine suddenly looked devoid of energy and without answers. He failed to land his string of takedowns and was instead picked off by the agile Yan, who emerged with the win and the title in Las Vegas.
But with that collision now in the rearview mirror, attention immediately turns to 2026 and the new year. Let’s take a look at the fights the UFC simply needs to deliver in 2026.
Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev
Ilia Topuria stole a move from the poker enthusiasts who regularly played in online casinos in 2025. The former featherweight champion made the only move the table game players made https://www.slots.lv/ will tell you this is the riskiest of them all, pushing all his chips into the middle of the table and going “all in” in his quest for a fight with pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev. He sacrificed his featherweight title and moved up to lightweight in an attempt to secure a fight with the Dagestani, but Makhachev himself was able to move up to welterweight and avoid a clash with El Matador.
Did his ‘all-in’ game work? Somewhat.
Topuria, disappointed but undaunted, went on to knock out Charles Oliveira to claim the 155-pound gold, becoming two-weight world champion in the process, although not simultaneously. However, due to personal issues, he has ruled himself out of contention until at least the end of the first quarter of 2026. As a result, Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gathje will battle for an interim title in January, with the winner of that match set to face Topuria sometime in 2026.
But that’s not the fight we really want to see. The clash fans around the world are salivating at the prospect of Ilia Toipuria versus Islam Makhachev. The two rivals currently hold the top two spots in the pound-for-pound rankings, and a clash between the two has long been discussed. El Matador is the one crying out for it, with Makhachev looking less than impressed, finding Topuria somewhat unworthy, and instead campaigning for a title defense against number eight Kamaru Usman.
Should both fighters pass their next test, a showdown between the pair could be on the cards at the end of the year, regardless of Makhachev’s wishes and needs. The clash is the biggest fight the UFC can make in 2026, and if there’s one thing we know about the company’s boss, Dana White, it’s this: If it makes money, it makes sense.
Tom Aspinall vs. Cyril Gane
It was the fight no one wanted to see. Fans had invested in a possible unification fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall in 2025. The only man who clearly didn’t want to see that fight was Jonny Bones, who unceremoniously retired as heavyweight champion despite giving the UFC his word that he would fight Aspinall next.
The Briton was subsequently promoted from interim to undisputed champion and booked to defend against Cyril Gane in his first title defense in Abu Dhabi in November. The excitement was minimal, but after the first round of that match ended in controversial fashion, fans are now clamoring for a rematch.
Throughout that first round in Abu Dhabi, Frenchman Gane got the better of Aspinall, whizzing away from the outside with the champion seemingly unsure how to respond. Then an eye poke from the challenger rendered the champion unable to continue, ending the fight with the official result being a no contest. Fans were quick to criticize Aspinall, claiming the Briton had taken the easy way out and could have continued if he had wanted to.
Aspinall has since responded: posting a whole host of medical evidence in recent weeks to defend his honor. But the only way he can truly clear his name is to face Gane in the Octagon again. And this time he must win definitively.
#fights #UFC